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A FIRST FOR HODGES, BLUE ZONES

by Dr. John Meyer, president, Hodges University
s we prepare to welcome the While this is all well and good, everyone knows that
year 2019, it’s that time when changing behavior to embrace healthier choices is an ongoing
people start thinking about New process. Hodges University will be celebrating our 30th
A Year’s resolutions. Typically, anniversary in the year 2020, so we decided to add a challenge
those resolutions start with promising to eat for us. By the time we celebrate our anniversary, our goal is to
healthier and get more exercise. have collectively walked 30,000 miles. On our employee portal,
It’s these two resolutions that we, at we can log in and record how many miles each of us walked
Hodges University, have taken seriously each month. Every few months, we’ll let all our faculty and
by putting them into action. We are proud staff know how we’re doing in reaching our goal. This internal
to be the first university in the region to site also has plenty of healthy tips and recipes to keep us
become a Blue Zones approved work site for our campuses in both inspired, plus nutrition and fitness information. We also have
Naples and Fort Myers. We’ve all heard about Blue Zones and how a section we call “techie tools” that gives our faculty and staff a
this initiative is designed to help us be healthier. variety of apps that can help them reach their health goals.
From the standpoint of a workplace, healthier employees are We all know there is power in knowledge, and we hope that
more productive, health care costs are lowered, and there is an Healthy Hodges will extend beyond our faculty and staff to their
overall improvement in the quality of life. Thanks to our School of friends, families, and perhaps most importantly, to the students
Health Sciences team, the idea of becoming Blue Zones approved we serve. The hardest step is always the first, but with these
became a reality in September. We celebrated with a plant-based initiatives, from our Blue Zones approved workplaces to our
cooking demonstration during an employee-wide meeting. Along Healthy Hodges internal site and the 30,000 miles challenge, we
with many of the faculty and staff, I was pleasantly surprised at hope to keep reminding ourselves of the importance of taking
how easy the dish was to prepare, and how delicious it tasted. that first step, regardless of how small or big it might be.
Faculty and staff were each given a “Healthy Hodges” plant for This is one New Year’s resolution that collectively, we can all keep.
their offices to remind them of the importance of healthier habits. Here’s to a prosperous New Year and most of all, to your health!

76 Life in Naples | December 2018